Sohale Siddiqi
Sohale Siddiqi (also Hal Siddiqi) was the best friend and roommate of Barack Obama while he attended Columbia University in the early 1980s. He is identified as "Sadik" in Obama's memoir, Dreams From My Father. Obama describes Saddiqi as "a short, well-built Pakistani" who smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine. Siddiqi was from Karachi, Pakistan and came to America from London on a tourist visa. He overstayed his visa becoming an illegal alien. [1]
Obama during his drug days with Siddiqi
Obama first met Siddiqi when he attended Occidental College in Los Angeles. Obama was living with a group of Pakistani students when Siddiqi arrived for a visit. Obama transferred to Columbia University and lived off campus with Siddiqi. Siddiqi was not a student and made his living working in restaurants. Together they lived in a drug-ridden slum apartment on 339 East 94th St. [2] Siddiqi got the apartment by lying, saying he had a well paid job. The apartment was furnished by what they could find in the streets.
Obama and Siddiqi would go out together and enjoy the nightlife of New York City. Siddiqi claims Obama stopped using drugs when he arrived at Columbia. [3] Obama eventually moved out when Siddiqi’s drug use began to interfere with his studies.
To help his old friend, Obama gave Siddiqi a job reference. Siddiqi is a recovering drug addict and now works for a community theater in Seattle. Siddiqi is a strong Obama supporter. On his phone message he says, "My name is Hal Siddiqi, and I approve of this message. Vote for peace, vote for hope, vote for change and vote for Obama."
